One Sunday
by karamelj
Summary: Can a frienship with a superstar like Nick Jonas turn into more?


One Sunday

I peer out the tiny window and see the familiar skyscrapers rising up in the distance. I smile at them and put my tray into the upright position, knowing that we're going to land in a few moments. I look over to my mother and grin wider.

"We're almost home," I say.

For six months I've been in Los Angeles filming a movie. I would tell you the title, but then I'd have to kill you. Anyways, I met some pretty cool people while I was there, mostly celebrities. There is one particular one that sticks out. His name is Nick Jonas, maybe you've heard of him.

Nick and I met about three months ago and we hit it off. Pretty much we're best friends right now. That's nice, but it's just not right for me. I mean, I'll deal with it because nothing good _ever_ happens when I try to make the first move with a guy. Literally: nothing good. In fact, normally it ruins everything. So I'm in no rush with Nick.

But I just wish that I knew what he's thinking! See, sometimes I get the feeling that he likes me, but he's too shy to do anything about it because he's like that sometimes. Then that feeling passes and I realize that he could _never_ feel the same way about me as I feel for him.

So as I get out of the limo that takes me home from the airport, I breathe in the fresh air from home and smile widely. Nick is three thousand miles away and I won't have to face him and try to act like I'm not in love with him (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get my point). Plus I came home just in time for the last week of school before summer vacation.

School looks really welcoming as I walk up to the front doors (What? You thought by home I meant my house? That's a good one!).

"Good morning!" I say, signing in at the tardy desk.

"Well, this is a surprise," says my gym teacher from behind the desk. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to learn," I reply, filling in all my information.

"Are you still considered a student?"

"Yes. And if I'm not: oh, well. There is _no way_ I'm getting a visitor's pass until I graduate!"

He rips off the pink sheet and hands it to me.

"Don't be late again," he says.

"I swear it won't happen," I reply. Then I walk up the familiar staircase to the music wing. It's the beginning of third period and that means chorus sectionals.

"Sorry, I'm late," I say to Mrs. Drew, my chorus teacher. "I blame Lynne, as always."

"Cora!" everyone screams, running up to hug me.

"Hey, everyone," I reply, looking at all the faces I've missed for six months. I fight my way through the crowd to Lynne, Mary and Maggie. "Hey, guys," I say with the biggest smile of the day.

I'm suddenly engulfed by the best hug in the world from all three of them.

"How's it been?" Mary asks. "How'd it work out with you and Nick?"

Of course all three of them had been out to visit me in Hollywood and be extras in the film. They had all met Nick and knew about the situation and all its minute details.

"Still nothing," I reply. "But let's not talk about him right now. Today is all about the end of school."

* * *

Somehow I manage to live through the next four hours of suffocating hugs and screaming. Then it's just Lynne, Mary, Rose and me. As we lie on the grass of the school courtyard and cloud watch, I start feeling like I'm home again. That's when the hole forms.

I wasn't expecting the hole to appear for another couple of days, but it comes right then as I finally get to spend time with my best friends.

"I wish Nick was here," I say, staring at a cloud that reminds me of him.

"Aw, she's heartbroken!" Lynne inspects.

"Bertucci's roll!" Rose prescribes, passing me the bag. I laugh and take a roll and some butter.

"Good girl," Mary says. "Covering up your sadness with food will keep you from running off back there to him."

"Are you kidding me?" I yell. "No guy is worth leaving you girls behind! Sister love is _way_ stronger than guy love! Always and forever!" I roll over and place my hand in the middle of our circle.

"Forever together!" Rose says, doing the same.

"No matter who he is," Lynne adds, joining us.

"Or where we go," Mary says, smiling as she adds her hand to the mix.

"Sisters, friends, partners in crime!" we say, raising our hands in a salute to friendship and laughing.

"Wow!" Mary says. "We haven't done that in forever!"

"It feels good to do it though," I say. Then I suddenly become serious. "You know, God probably didn't give me any blood sisters because he knew I would meet you three and love you more than any real sister."

"Awww! Group hug!" Rose says, pulling us all together.

We lay there for another hour before any of us move to leave. But Rose gets a call from her dad saying that he's waiting for her out front and my mom will be angry if I don't get home soon. So Mary and I, we live right down the street from each other, get on a bus and head home together for the first time in what feels like forever.

* * *

It feels good to finish school with everyone. They all treat me like they always did. Well, the Class of 2012 does. I still get ambushed by a group of seventh graders because they recognize me from a magazine. But to everyone else, I'm still just Cora, the random girl that no one really knows too well. And that's the way—uh-huh, uh-huh—I like it.

The Sunday after the last day I wake up looking like a complete monster as usual. I don't do anything about it because it's Sunday and no one's going to care what I look like because no one's going to see me.

I yawn as I get up and go downstairs. I walk to the front door and drag it open. Stretching, I open the door to the porch and go down the front steps to pick up the Sunday paper. I turn back and start climbing the stairs. As I reach the top step, I see someone staring at me from the porch door. Shrieking, I drop the paper and jump back.

Now, my front steps are made out of concrete. When I jump back, I start to fall back. If I continue to fall, I'm going to die for sure. But the person in the door acts quickly and grabs my arm, pulling me up so quickly that I fall into him.

"Well, that was an experience," I hear Nick say. Pulling away from his chest, I look up into his deep and pensive brown eyes.

I hit his shoulder with my palm.

"Ow," he says, letting go of me and rubbing where I hit him. "What was that for?"

"One, for not calling before you came over," I reply, searching his face for signs that he's an imposter, but I find none. His freckles and birthmarks are all there. And there's that one curl that never moves. I want to reach up and pull it like I used to when I would tease him about it. "Two, you just scared the crap out of me _and_ nearly killed me."

"But I did save you," Nick points out. He smiles at me and I practically melt. "And the reason I didn't call was because I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I think it worked."

"Yeah."

We stand there for a moment.

"Do you want to come in?" I ask. "No one else is up yet, but I could make us a pot of coffee."

"Sounds great," Nick replies, smiling again. I lead him to the kitchen and start the coffee maker. It feels kind of odd to have a boy in the house with my parents asleep, but Mom trusts Nick so the awkwardness goes away quickly.

"Here you go," I say, placing a cup of coffee down in front of him. "So what brings you to humble old Boston?" I ask, sitting down next to him at the table.

"Well, I'm not touring and I really wanted to see you," he replies.

He wants to see _me_? How amazing is that? He flew three thousand miles just to see _me_?

"That's nice," I say, my heart pounding in my ears. "But that's a pretty far distance to go to see a friend, especially with technological advances like the web cam."

"I know," Nick says, putting his cup down. "But I've been thinking lately..."

"What have you been thinking about?"

"About you…and more about you…and about us..."

"About us as what? As friends?" I know what's coming next, but I still can't believe it.

"Well, kind of. I mean, I don't think we should be friends anymore."

My heart stops for a moment. Did he just say what I think he said? Did he just say we shouldn't be friends any more?

"I think that we should be more than friends," he finishes with a smile, taking my hand and holding it in his.

Now that's much better.

"Really? Do you mean, like, a couple 'more' or brother and sister separated by birth 'more'?"

"What do you think?"

"I hope the former."

"Ding, ding, ding! That's the right answer!"

"Really? What do I win?"

"This." Nick pulls me up from the chair and wraps his arms around my waist. He lowers his head to mine and kisses me on the lips.

My father will come down in a few minutes and scream for Nick to get his hands off his daughter then order him off the premises. I will cry and beg Dad to let him stay. He will break down and tell Nick he can stay as long as he doesn't see him kissing me again. And he won't _see_ us kiss again because Nick will take me out for breakfast and we'll have the best day of our lives.

For now, as we pull away for air, I smile and pull at the random curl on his forehead and tease him as always. He laughs and leans down again.


End file.
